Share

20 years on, ICC urges help to fight war crimes

The International Criminal Court marked its 20th anniversary on Tuesday urging all nations to help its "vital work" seeking justice for war crimes victims, despite its controversial acquittal of a former Congolese militia chief.

"Two decades after the Rome conference, the system of international justice created by the Rome Statute continues to make waves towards building a culture of accountability," insisted chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Even though the tribunal, based in The Hague, faced many challenges "its work is increasingly shaping norms, casting a deterrent shadow across the globe," she said.

The tribunal's guiding Rome Statute was agreed in July 1998, and it opened its doors in 2002 as a court of last resort, to prosecute those behind the world's worst atrocities in places where national authorities could not or would not step in.

* Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER 

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook

In 16 years, it has sentenced three people, two Congolese militia leaders and a Malian jihadist.

Other cases have collapsed. In some instances wanted suspects remain at large, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and four trials are currently underway.

Last month, former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, initially sentenced to 18 years in prison for war crimes, was acquitted on appeal in a blow to the prosecution.

The court has been repeatedly criticised, accused of unfairly targeting African nations, even though complex initial probes are also underway in the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan, the Philippines and Ukraine.

In 2017, under investigation for suspected crimes against humanity in which 1 200 people were said to have died, Burundi became the first country to withdraw from the tribunal.

Bensouda acknowledged the court's work "is not an easy task given the complex environments" in which it operates.

Important work

She highlighted "large scale criminality on the ground, changing political climates, with dwindling resource capacity, and varying degrees of cooperation" despite "ever-increasing demands for the court's intervention."

But she stressed: "Attacks on the court to undermine its important work, or in the service of Machiavellian schemes to shield the culpable, must continue to be met with the determined and unequivocal voices of support from principal states parties and civil society."

All had a responsibility "to ensure we don't disappoint the victims embroiled in devastating conflicts all over the world, past or present".

The victims carried the "hope that the cold calculus of international politics does not abandon them, or worse undermine humanity's shared values, and common yearnings of peace, stability and the protective embrace of the law from the world's gravest crimes."

Giving a key-note speech, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said he was honoured "to celebrate the anniversary of this vital global institution. I say 'vital' because the world needs the ICC."

"With the alarming proliferation of the most serious crimes around the world, the ICC, and all that it stands for, is now needed more than ever," he added.

He urged "all states not to politicise" the court's decisions, and insisted its "challenges are not insurmountable".

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 395 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 555 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE